Bent transfer question is least of Pardew's mounting problems

Alan Pardew has expressed fears that Darren Bent is being tapped up but that can hardly be the greatest of his worries. Charlton look as likely as Jose Mourinho to begin next season in the Premiership and Pardew ought to have Special One embroidered on his tracksuit if his team avoid the drop. "We have a hell of a battle to get out of it," said the manager.

Pardew followed that by emphasising all is not lost but Charlton's hopes look slimmer than ever, not so much because they have lost significant ground on those above them but because this was the sort of match they need to win to stand a realistic chance of staying up. They can have found little to cheer in learning that West Ham and Sheffield United had drawn and Wigan lost. Charlton's next games are at Portsmouth and Bolton, at home to Chelsea and away to Manchester United. Pardew described that as "a bit worrying".

Until Boro went 2-1 ahead Charlton showed energy and spirit, epitomised by Matt Holland and Souleymane Diawara, but the lack of quality was chronic. Only Andy Reid showed ingenuity and it will take exceptional acquisitions by Pardew to spark the revival required. That will be tough when money is tight and every defeat makes the club more unattractive.

Bent's return from injury cannot come soon enough. Pardew feels he should be back to face West Ham on February 24 and does not plan to sell him. If the board are tempted to cash in for fear of Bent being picked off cheaply in the event of relegation, Pardew can remind them he had to pay £7.25m for an uncapped Championship player a year ago when taking Dean Ashton from Norwich to West Ham.

The manager is realistic enough to think his leading scorer is being contacted illegally despite his Not For Sale mantra. "It's a difficult situation for Darren because unfortunately, the way the world works, I'm sure he's getting phone calls that perhaps he shouldn't," he said. "That's how it works. I'm just trying to keep him focused on Charlton."

Pardew's team lacked the cleverness and threat up front that Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Mark Viduka provided for Boro. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made a rare contribution by scoring and Marcus Bent was willing but limited. They relied on Bent to win headers and make runs but it led to few chances against an unconvincing defence once Holland's long ball fell for Hasselbaink to lash in the opener.

Talk of relegation will not be banned by Pardew. "I'm not going to stop it because the reality is that's where we are," he said. "So I'm sure it's going to be high on the agenda in the breakfast room, the dinner room, the changing room and on the pitch ... Make no mistake it's not over yet. We are not all sitting in there thinking our days are numbered."

Boro scored twice in five second-half minutes, having equalised just before half-time via the lively Lee Cattermole. The visitors' ball retention and creativity were superior to Charlton's, though it took awful defending by Hermann Hreidarsson to allow Julio Arca to make it 2-1 before Yakubu scored an excellent solo effort.

West Ham hope the easing of Boro's relegation worries will make it simpler for them to sign Viduka, though Gareth Southgate wants to keep the Australian. "You can't guarantee anything in life but that's our intention," said the manager.

It summed up Pardew's problems that he tried his third central-midfield pairing in five matches, without finding the answer in Darren Ambrose and Holland. "I look around the changing room and do see honest characters," said Pardew, "but sometimes that is not enough."